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Embracing the Year of the Dragon: Lessons for Career Transition

In the rich tapestry of Chinese zodiac signs, the Dragon stands out as a symbol of strength, courage, and good fortune. Unlike its mythical Western counterpart, which often symbolizes danger and destruction, the Eastern Dragon is seen as a powerful and benevolent creature, capable of bringing about prosperity and positive change. As we navigate the complexities of our professional lives, the Year of the Dragon offers profound lessons on career transition, encouraging us to embrace change with bravery and optimism. Here’s what the Year of… Read More »Embracing the Year of the Dragon: Lessons for Career Transition

How to Reframe Past Negative Employment

When you speak with someone in your job search process, whether it is a networking contact or a potential employer, you want to leave them with a positive impression. That probably sounds obvious, but while being honest about your situation and past employment, you might have done the opposite. Through the desire for connection, you might feel compelled to give your audience the personal details of your difficult current or past work circumstances. This might work well for a friend or romantic partner but not… Read More »How to Reframe Past Negative Employment

How to Increase Followers and Build SEO on LinkedIn This Holiday Season

It is now widely understood how important a strong LinkedIn profile is to your job search efforts. Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has grown to include 875 million members and become THE place for professionals to network and be found. Unfortunately, I have found that most of my clients are not leveraging the platform to its capacity and, as such, are missing out on attracting new career opportunities to them. It is important to invest in your LinkedIn footprint so that your profile and… Read More »How to Increase Followers and Build SEO on LinkedIn This Holiday Season

Use LinkedIn’s “About” Section to Tell Your Story

Leveraging this LinkedIn field differentiates you from the competition. For the last decade, job seekers have been conditioned to focus on accomplishments, measurable outcomes, and endorsements when demonstrating their professional worth. Highlighting these characteristics when applying for jobs has proven to be effective because they emphasize the indispensable qualities that differentiate you from the competition. But do these accomplishments sincerely represent your true value to the employer? I suspect there is more you want to say. You might think to yourself, “Oh, I’ll tell them… Read More »Use LinkedIn’s “About” Section to Tell Your Story

14 Reasons Why Linkedin Recommendations and Endorsements Set You Apart

Whether you are developing a resume or answering a behavior-based question in a job interview, it is now standard practice to share proof of your capabilities. Presenting measurable achievements to employers can demonstrate your skills at work. But even with accomplishment-based statements, your experience lands flat without someone else vouching for you. Acquiring recommendations and endorsements on Linkedin can significantly enhance your credibility and attractiveness to potential employers. These endorsements serve as testimonials from individuals who have worked closely with you, attesting to your skills,… Read More »14 Reasons Why Linkedin Recommendations and Endorsements Set You Apart

How to Overcome The Feeling of Bragging to Showcase Your Achievements

It’s natural to feel a bit uncomfortable when talking about your achievements, as you might worry about coming across as bragging or arrogant. Your upbringing or culture might discourage you from talking about your own merits. However, effectively communicating your accomplishments is crucial during the job search process. It is important that you share how you went beyond the foundational duties of your job to have a positive impact on the company, team, or clients you served. Here are some tips to help you overcome… Read More »How to Overcome The Feeling of Bragging to Showcase Your Achievements

Let Your Brand Shine Bright

As a job seeker, building and maintaining your personal brand is crucial to stand out and stay in front of potential employers. Your personal brand should communicate what you bring to the table and what differentiates you from the competition. However, it is not enough to build your personal brand and expect your audience to find you. You need to find different avenues to let your brand “shine bright” so that you attract your target audience. Here are some strategies to keep your brand visible… Read More »Let Your Brand Shine Bright

How to Apply for a Job When You Don’t Meet Minimum Requirements

When was the last time you read a job posting and didn’t meet the minimum requirements of the position, but you said to yourself, ” I know I can do this job!”? Probably pretty recently. This happens regularly, but most job seekers will either not apply or apply without mentioning which requirement(s) they lack and what they offer in its place. This makes it difficult for employers to connect the dots on how you could be a good fit for the job. There are several… Read More »How to Apply for a Job When You Don’t Meet Minimum Requirements

How to Pull Recruiters and Employers to Your LinkedIn Profile

Are you tired of spending countless hours on LinkedIn searching for the right job and applying for open positions with no response? Does it feel like you are spinning your wheels? Well, if you are reading this post, I suspect the answer to both questions is “yes”. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find a way to just sit back and let recruiters find you? Well, guess what? You can! It is called “pull job searching”. When you are implementing pull job search strategies… Read More »How to Pull Recruiters and Employers to Your LinkedIn Profile

How to Secure More LinkedIn Recommendations using The Triple W Process

Remember that saying “words are empty without actions to back them up?” I think about this statement when anyone asks me how important recommendations are on their Linkedin profile. While the words you choose to place in your profile are purposeful, especially for SEO, backing them up with action can give their meaning an added boost. In this case, in the form of recommendations. Securing and adding recommendations on your LinkedIn account transforms your words into evidence of your achievements. A well-written recommendation is one… Read More »How to Secure More LinkedIn Recommendations using The Triple W Process

New LinkedIn Features Connect Job Seekers with Hiring Managers

New LinkedIn Features Allow Job Seekers to Prove their Skills and Hiring Managers to Quickly Assess Candidates Let’s face it, it can feel hard to actually get noticed on LinkedIn. However, I’ve got to credit LinkedIn for consistently developing new ways for job seekers and hiring managers to connect. Recently, LinkedIn has come out with two new features that allow both talent to shine and hiring managers to quickly ascertain whether potential candidates have the right skills for their open positions. While these features are… Read More »New LinkedIn Features Connect Job Seekers with Hiring Managers

Overcoming Salary Anxiety

For most people, requesting a salary raise activates anxiety immediately. When preparing for the conversation, we are often flooded with feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. Many of us tend to question our worth or get distracted by catastrophizing: “what if I don’t get the job offer”, “I’m sure I’ll be blacklisted for asking”; “Who am I to ask for more money”; “I should just be grateful. Feeling the need to ask for more money is a tight rope that most of us have traveled on… Read More »Overcoming Salary Anxiety

Top Ten Activities to Kick-Start Your Job Search After a Layoff

Do you find yourself suddenly a casualty of a layoff or hiring freeze? If yes, you are not alone. What started as a downward spiral in March 2020, the U.S. has been facing a new wave of cutbacks and layoffs. We have been flooded with news of layoffs across the country and sweetheart businesses like Netflix, Microsoft, PayPal, and Uber which we believed were recession-proof are reeling from rising labor costs and slow business growth. The good news is that despite a slight decline in… Read More »Top Ten Activities to Kick-Start Your Job Search After a Layoff

Top Five Ways Volunteering Can Benefit Your Job Search

Volunteering may be the last thing you want or feel like doing while you are looking for a job. You might feel like volunteering would take away from the time you should be placed in your job search activities. There you go shoulding on yourself again. Make it a choice and you will likely find that it is the best addition to your job search strategy. Volunteering should complement not replace your job search activities. Commit to an activity 2-4 hours a week with one… Read More »Top Five Ways Volunteering Can Benefit Your Job Search

Top 10 Ideas on What to Post on LinkedIn

I post on LinkedIn on a regular basis but even I get stuck on what to say. I will find myself staring at the flashing cursor beside “What do you want to talk about?” hoping something creative and thought-provoking will pop into my mind. When nothing comes up, I refer to a guide I found on the Red Website Design blog. Below, I share that guide with additions that I have found to be helpful.

Candidate Strategies to Counteract Ageism in the Hiring Process

It is fairly common these days to be 50 years or older and in the market for a new job or consulting opportunity. There are several factors that drive an ever-increasing population of older job seekers including longer lifespans, smaller than expected retirement funds, rising medical expenses, and extended retirement age. Simultaneously, more companies are implementing strategic hiring initiatives to attract and retain more millennials. How are older candidates able to compete with let alone differentiate from their younger counterparts? What is ageism and who… Read More »Candidate Strategies to Counteract Ageism in the Hiring Process

5 Simple Steps to Develop a Relevant Resume

Your resume is the holy grail of relevance. It is often the first step in showing that you are the right fit for a job. I found it fascinating to learn that the Latin root of relevant is relevare which means “to lessen, lighten” or “to help, assist, comfort, console”. Your resume then becomes an important tool in presenting to the employer or recruiter that you are their best shot at relieving their discomfort. It may feel daunting to have to achieve all that in no… Read More »5 Simple Steps to Develop a Relevant Resume

Designing Your Future of Work

“We have ability to exploit opposing ideas and opposing constraints to create new solutions. When your pathway seems most narrow, you can invent a new way forward, even when making individual decisions.” Jim Brown, Executive Chair and Former CEO, TEDGlobal talk, “Designers — Think Big!” For more information on how to Design Think Your Career, check out my blog post or connect with me on LinkedIn or email me.

Designing a Cover Letter that Differentiates You

The value of the cover letter has been altogether over-analyzed to the point of sheer confusion. When the cover letter is required in the application process, you may be left wondering what you should include in it to set yourself apart. If it is not required, you might question whether to include one anyway. The madness of it all! It the employer does not explicitly say not to include a cover letter, I suggest including it. Of course, there is no guarantee they will actually… Read More »Designing a Cover Letter that Differentiates You

Transitioning Back to a Career You Loved

Marketing Yourself to a Position you Held Many Years Ago One thing that COVID has done is compel people to re-examine their lives and their priorities. Perhaps this personal introspection is a hidden benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within that space, many have decided to explore new career paths to better align with their values and goals. As Albert Einstein said, “In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity”. As my clients explore a new, and hopefully last, career chapter in their lives, I am… Read More »Transitioning Back to a Career You Loved

How to Have Compassion for the Hiring Manager that Ghosts You

My Dharma teacher once shared that when you are judging someone by an act as bad or inferior to your expectations, you are only seeing a sliver of reality. She reminded our Sangha that we are forgetting that there were billions of moments that occurred before the moment we were affected. The question then becomes, “is it possible that we are judging something that we don’t fully understand?” This question can easily be asked in a situation where an employer “ghosts” you. Ghosting is often… Read More »How to Have Compassion for the Hiring Manager that Ghosts You